postdoctoral positions available in the lab

Two postdoctoral positions recently funded by the labex BCDiv are available in the lab.

The first project is entitled ’Form-function relationships and the evolution of arboreal locomotion in mammals’ and is in collaboration with Stephane Peigne (UMR7207) and Raphael Cornette (UMR7205).

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher in functional morphology to work on a project investigating the evolution of arboreal locomotion in mammals. The postdoctoral researcher will quantify the functionally relevant properties of the musculature of the limbs (muscle mass, physiological cross sectional area) using specimens from the comparative anatomy collections at the MNHN. Moreover, the postdoctoral researcher will quantify the shape of limb bones in arboreal mammals based on 3D surface scans and using geometric morphometric approaches. One of the goals of this study will be to make better inferences on the locomotor ecology and life-style in extinct animals. As such the project will focus more specifically on carnivorans and primates given the presence of well preserved fossil material. Expertise in geometric morphometrics and experience with dissection are requirements for the position. Experience with comparative methods and the interpretation of fossil material is considered as an additional plus for the project.

The second project is entitled’Morphological convergence and functional inferences: an integrative study of the masticatory apparatus in rodents and extinct notoungulates’ and is in collaboration with Guillaume Billet (UMR7207) and Raphael Cornette (UMR7205).

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher in functional morphology and paleontology to work on a project investigating a typical case-study of repeated morphological convergence in the masticatory apparatus of mammals. The project focuses on the rich mosaic of resemblances found in several groups of extant rodents and extinct notoungulates. The postdoctoral researcher will quantify the shape of the masticatory apparatus and identify areas of mechanical constraints based on 3D models and using geometric morphometric and finite element approaches. Moreover, the postdoctoral researcher will evaluate the main chewing directions by examining dental microwear patterns and will use in-vivo cineradiographic studies in order to characterize the kinematics associated with variation in muzzle shape in selected extant rodents. The goal of this project is to integrate these results within a comprehensive framework in order to characterize the convergence observed in the masticatory apparatus of rodents and notoungulates, and to provide more robust functional inferences for the latter.